Careful Planning
by Vuirneen
Summary: one shot Preparation is nine tenths of success, but one careless moment is all it takes to fail.


Sasuke crouched low in the undergrowth. His fingers tightened around the handle of his kunai knife, while he glared into the clearing. _This is it,_ he thought._ The culmination of all our planning. We've covered every angle and it should all go smoothly. As long as that idiot doesn't mess it up._ His teeth glinted in an unhappy grin, as he waited for the signal. 

Sakura glanced furtively from her hiding place. _The target is in position,_ she thought. _I hope it doesn't come over here. I don't want to have to be the first one to move._ She reached up and ran her fingers repeatedly through her hair, while she risked another look. _Oh please. I hope I don't mess up._

Naruto beamed widely, his mouth spilling chuckles as he shifted eagerly in the bushes. _This is it!_ he thought. _I'll charge out there, strike the target cleanly and dispatch him all by myself. I'll completely show up Sasuke and Sakura will finally see that I'm better than him and she'll fawn all over me. "Oh, Naruto," she'll say. "You're so much cooler than stupid Sasuke." Then he'll just glower in the corner, my lapdog and inferior team-mate for all time!_ He posed pompously, still enthralled by his daydream and completely missing Sakura's first signal. 

_I'm hungry_, thought Kakashi, as he lounged in a nearby tree.

_All right_, thought Sasuke, as he leaned forward. He made a quick check of the area, his muscles tensed to react in an instant. _I'm all set to go. Confirm the assault, Sakura._

Sakura armed herself as she counted silently. _Five, nothing's changed. Six, nothing's changed. Seven, nearly there. Eight, down butterflies! Nine..._

_"Naruto-chan! Please let me cook for you,"_ thought Naruto, hugging himself with glee. _"You're a super ninja. You beat the Hokage and replaced him at such a young age. Everyone in the village was so impressed. They all respect you now and name their children after you. Naruto! Your name sings in my heart. Take a kiss from my humble lips."_ A drop of sweat formed on his brow and dripped onto the ground. _"A kiss, Sakura?" _he thought, tracing a pattern on the ground, with his toe. _That's such a bold step. Are you sure? Okay? Just close your eyes and lean forward."_ A red blush spread from his cheeks in a gentle wave. _Sakura!_

Kakashi patted his stomach and then lazily scratched his head. _I hope this doesn't take too long._

_Go!_

A flash of movement finally caught Naruto's attention and his mouth fell open. _That stupid Sasuke. He's given himself away! It's all up to me to save the day. _ He drew his knife hastily and jumped from concealment. _This'll definitely make Sakura-chan like me more._

Sasuke leapt from the bushes and rebounded off a tree. His prey turned and froze. Sasuke bore down on him and only when he was almost within strike range, did he start to run. The young ninja drove him mercilessly toward the tree where Sakura waited. Each time the target ducked left or right, a quick slash or a thrown shuriken, sent him back onto his deadly path. He charged for the tree, desperate to build up speed and escape Sasuke's reach.

Sakura braced herself against the tree. She could feel its hard and bumpy surface through her clothes and drew strength from it. She stretched her fingers one final time and grasped her knife firmly. _OK,_ she thought. _It's nearly time. All I have to do is jump out and kill it. That's all._ She squeezed her eyes shut. _Sasuke should be there, NOW!_ She dug her feet in and pounced from tree. Opening her eyes, she saw Sasuke and she saw the target, running blindly towards her. She swallowed and raised her hand, strangely detached. _An easy kill. He hasn't even seen me yet. So much smaller than I thought he'd be. _

As her hand came down in a killing arc, a knife flashed from her left to strike the ground by her foot. She launched herself backwards, gaining space and scoured the area for her attacker. Sasuke pulled up from his sprint and joined her in a fighting stance. Their target, barely twitching his nose, turned to the right and fled from the two shinobi. Sasuke glanced at Sakura, _she can handle this_ and raced after him.

Sakura swallowed, as a mighty yell erupted from some bushes and an orange blur charged towards her. _Orange?_ she thought. Her knife wavered, uncertainly in the air. _Naruto, where are you? You were supposed to stop anyone from interfering with the mission. Have they gotten you already? Will I be next?_ She held her ground and waited. _ Should I hop into the tree? Should I take cover, or attack as soon as he's in range? If I flee, then I'll be giving him my back. If he's another knife, I'll present an inviting target. If he's a better fighter, though, I'm in trouble too._ She whimpered as the blur closed in.

The moving pile of dust pulled up beside her, to disgorge Naruto. He turned quickly, scanning the area.

"Where did he go?" asked Naruto.  
"Where did who go?" replied Sakura, clutching her chest and falling back against the tree.  
"The target, Sasuke, either, both," he said, still turning and looking around.  
"That way," she said, pointing dazedly. "Hold on! Naruto!" she screamed as her heart calmed down and she regained some sense. "What are you doing? Did you throw that knife?"  
"I came to save the mission," he said. "I tried to hit the target, but I missed. I didn't scare you, did I, Sakura-chan?" he asked, reaching out to her with concern.  
"You nearly hit me!" she shouted, releasing her tension onto the hapless boy. "That knife was much closer to me than him and why did you throw it anyway? I was supposed to kill him."_ He was going to be my first,_ she thought.  
"Sasuke moved too soon," he complained. "I had to do something."  
"I did no such thing," said Sasuke, as he emerged from the forest. "I moved on Sakura's signal. You should not have interfered."  
"Where's the target?" asked Naruto, pointedly.  
"It got away, since it managed to evade our careful trap," he said. "Thanks to you."  
"Oh, well done, Sasuke," said Naruto sarcastically.  
"The plan was ruined by then, anyway," he said, walking away from him and Sakura and sitting down on a tree-stump. "I guess it wasn't fool-proof after all."

Naruto nodded, but turned red and stomped towards Sasuke, once he'd figured out that there was an insult buried in that last comment. One that was directed specifically at him.

"Enough," shouted Kakashi, flashing into position on the ground, hands still raised in a jutsu. "What's done is done. We will start again." He took Sakura's hand and lifted her up off the tree. "Sakura, you go and find another rabbit."  
_I won't have to strike the killing blow, this time,_ she thought, before nodding and running off.  
"Naruto," he said, turning to the boy. "This time you will kill the rabbit and Sasuke will sweep the perimeter and mop up if anything goes wrong." They both nodded. "I hope she finds a nice one. We've been at this for most of the day and I'm starving."


End file.
